


Picking Up April

by Jerry_Larchive



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 07:09:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14971769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jerry_Larchive/pseuds/Jerry_Larchive
Summary: Just a week after the pregnancy test that brought Jackson and April's sexual escapades to an abrupt halt, April is hitting the books in preparation for her next shot at passing her boards. But her cafeteria study session is interrupted. What exactly is this guy up to?





	Picking Up April

“Excuse me. Are you using this chair?” he asked her when she looked up from the book she was reading.

“No, you can have it.” she answered. She returned her attention to her book. But she brought her eyes up again when, instead of taking the chair away, the man sat down opposite her at her table and proceeded to pull a laptop out of a laptop sleeve.

As he was engrossed in the process it gave her an opportunity to register his handsomeness. Fit, with the air of an athlete, and Hollywood caliber good looks, she immediately classified him as a player.

Then she let her eyes sweep the cafeteria. There were only a handful of people there now. Dozens of tables and chairs available. Hmmm. Why the heck had he parked himself here?

She waited for him to look up so she could ask. Finally, after it became apparent that he was not going to make eye contact with her, her patience failed.

“Uh, excuse me.” she began.

He held up his index figure, which April interpreted to mean _one minute_.

Obediently, April resumed her waiting. But as the seconds ticked by she once again found it difficult to stay patient. Finally, when she was sure it had to have been more than a minute, she spoke again.

“Hey! Excuse me.”

This time he looked at her and made no motion to put her off. Damn, he has nice eyes, April thought.

“So, I'm wondering, with all the open tables, why you decided to sit at this one?”

She saw just a hint of a smile around the corners of his mouth. Very suspicious.

“Why, do you mind? Am I bothering you?”

“No, no, nothing like that.”

“Because if I am, I'll move.”

April set her jaw. “No, you don't have to move. You aren't bothering me. I'm just curious is all.”

“Ah, I see.” he answered. Then he turned his attention back to his laptop.

April was beginning to get annoyed. “Hey!”

He looked up again.

“Well? How about answering my question?” she demanded.

“Oh, sure. Sorry. What was the question again?”

April's eyebrows knitted together. “I asked what made you decide to sit here instead of any of those other open tables?”

“Well, really, isn't it obvious?”

“Obviously not!” she replied crossly.

He laughed. “Really? Come on, you really need me to tell you?”

“If I didn't I wouldn't be asking, now would I?” April was beginning to suspect this guy was irritating her on purpose.

“I sat here because of you..” he peered at her labcoat, “Doctor Kepler.”

“That's KepNer.” April answered, quickly shifting her arm to cover her name and badge.

“Oh, sorry, Doctor KepNer.” he smiled at her and it definitely didn't help her recover her composure.

“Are you stalking me? Is that it?”

“No, I'm not stalking you. I just thought you might like some company.”

“Company? You've had your nose in your laptop from the moment you sat down. How is that company?” April huffed.

“You know, you're right. I apologize.” He quickly closed his laptop and put it back in its sleeve. Then he folded his hands on the table in front of him and smiled at April. This really flustered her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“You ask a lot of questions, don't you?”

“I …, no .., I..”

“That's okay. Frankly, I'm glad you're interested. I'm interested in you, too.”

“What? I am not interested.” April protested.

“Then why the third degree? It's okay. I wouldn't have sat down here if it bothered me.”

“Bothered you?” April exclaimed. “I am not bothering you.”

“That's what I just said... April.” he was again squinting at her lab coat where she had inadvertently uncovered her full name.

“Oh snap!” April said when she realized what happened.

“Did you just say _Oh snap_?” he chuckled.

April's eyes narrowed. “Are you laughing at me?” she demanded.

“No, of course not. I'd like to laugh with you though. I'll bet you have a great laugh.”

Whoop! What the hell was that, she wondered?

“At this rate, you're not likely to find out.” she answered.

His smile was replaced by an expression of sadness. “Now that would be a real shame.” he answered. But she saw a twinkle in his eye that made her doubt the sincerity of his sadness.

“Yes, well, I think I'll just get back to my book now. It was nice meeting you ...”

“I thought you wanted to know why I sat down here?” he prompted.

“Yes, well, I did, but you told me, remember? The _company_ thing.”

“Sure, that was part of it. But don't you want to know the rest?”

April knew she was being baited but she couldn't resist.

“Alright, what _rest_?”

“I was hoping we might strike up a little conversation, maybe find a little spark, maybe you'd even ask me out, you know, for coffee or something.”

April's jaw dropped. “I might ask you out? Me? Ask you out?”

“No offense. You seem like a very modern career woman and I didn't want to presume anything.”

“And that means I have to ask you out?”

“I apologize. You obviously prefer a more traditional scenario and would prefer I ask you out.”

“Yes I would... hey! I see what you're trying to pull.”

“You're really sending mixed signals about which one of us should do the asking here.” he told her.

“Mixed ...Oh for...!”

“So after work then? What time do you get off?”

“Seven.” she answered before catching herself. “Wait, no, forget I just said that.”

He ignored her. “Meet you here, or down in the ER?”

“How do you know I work in the ER?” she demanded.

He merely indicated her book, TOP KNIFE: The Art & Craft of Trauma Surgery 

“Oh sn...darn.” she caught herself just in time.

“Ok, the ER it is.” He got up from the table and gathered his things.

"Wait! I never said I'll go out with you."

"But you will, won't you?"

Those frickin eyes. "Maybe."

"That's good enough for me. Even that chance that you'll let me take you out is enough to make my heart leap."

“Smooth. Does that really work?” she asked.

He smiled at her. “It just did.”

“Barely. I came this close to telling you to get lost or calling security.”

“But you didn't.” he smirked.

“It's not too late.” she reminded him.

“It was your idea to wipe the slate clean and start over.”

“It's a better idea than yours to just forget the whole thing.”

“April we've been over this already and I agreed. So let's have a little fun with it.”

“That was your idea of fun?”

“Yes. I've got to admit, I'm kind of liking this idea to go back and pick up the parts we missed.”

"So you're not still mad at me for not wanting to marry you yet?"

"No, I get it."

“So let's give this dating thing a shot and see if we're really ready for, you know.”

“The whole damn thing?'

“Yes, the whole damn thing.”

“Okay.” he answered with a soft smile.

“Okay.” she looked up at him.

“See you at seven then.” Jackson told her.

“I can't wait.” she answered.

He smiled. "Told you it worked."

She looked after him as he walked away. "Yeah it did." she whispered.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know I said I was done with Japril after the S14 debacle but, against my better judgement, this little fluff piece insisted on seeing the light of day.
> 
> My apologies.


End file.
